LG T1 14.1-inch Screen Portable Notebook Review (pics, specs)

by Darren Hewer, Canada

The LG T1 is a thin-and-light 14.1-inch screennotebook with a Core Duo processor. The LG T1 offers performance and portability, it weighs in at only 4.2lbs.In addition to these features, itis arguably one of the most stylish and unique looking notebooks on the market right now and has been chosen for design awards.

The LG T1 with a stylish piano black shiny lid (view large image)

(view large image)

LG T1 Specs:

• Screen: 14.1" WXGA+ (1440x900), Fine Bright Technology *
• Graphics: Intel Integrated 945GM 256MB
• Processor: Intel Core Duo Processor 1.66GHz (L2400) *
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
• Memory: 1gig (2x512MB) DDR2 667MHz
• Hard Drive: 60GB(PATA) 4200RPM
• Optical Drive: DVD Burner
• Input/Output: 3 USB2.0, VGA, RJ11, RJ45, S-Video, IEEE 1394 (Firewire), Mic-in, Line-in(S/PDIF), Headphone
• Size: 13.1" x 9.4" x 0.85" (334mm x 240mm x 21.5mm)
• Weight: 4.2lbs / 1.9kg (with included 6cell battery)
• Wireless: Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG (802.11a/b/g)
• Modem: 56kbps
• Bluetooth: BlueCore
• Security: Fingerprint, TPM, HDD Security
• Memory Card Slot: 5-in-1 (XD/SD/MMC/MS/MS Pro)
• PC Card Slot: ExpressCard/34
• Battery: 6cell (Li-Ion)
• Software: IP Operator, Battery Miser, On Screen Display, Norton Anti-Virus, CyberLink DVD Solution, Recovery CD, LG Intelligent Update CD
• Warranty: 3 year international limited warranty
• Cost: $1,799.99CDN (approx $1,622.17US; before 15% CDN taxes)

Some features of the T1 listed on a sticker at the front right side of the notebook (view large image)

Please take note:

The specs listed on the current official LG T1 page differ from the laptop I have in two important ways. The model number on my laptop is listed by Windows as T1-5316A9, while the model number of the only English T1 listed on the LG site is T1-5300A9. The processor and screen resolution on my laptop are actually higher than what is listed on the LG site as can be seen below:

(view large image)

	LG site:	My Laptop System InfoReports:
Model #:	T1-5300A9	T1-5316A9
Processor:	1.5ghz T2300	1.66ghz T2400
Screen:	WXGA 1280x800	WXGA+ 1440x900

Many stores list the specs of the notebook according to the "official" LG specs on their website, but as you can see, the processor and screen are actually better than advertised!

Reasons for Buying:

The reason I gottheLG T1 wasto replace my Asus Z70V laptop. While I was pleased overall with the Asus, I wanted a laptop that was smaller, lighter and quieter, since I realized that I don't really play games anymore, and the Z70V is more of a gaming machine. I browsed around online for awhile but none of the laptops I found really caught my eye until I saw the T1...it's a nice looking machine! The T1 actually won several awards in the 2006 'Red Dot' awards for design, including 'Best of the Best'. Cost was not a major concern, but this notebook is not priced much higher than similarly spec'd models from other manufacturers.

Where and How Purchased:

This laptop was purchased in Canadaat CanadaSys, their North York location. They were selling this notebook for $1,870.00, but price matched another local store for $1,799.99. CanadaSys is in the process of changing their name to MilestonePC. They are changing their name to better reflect an upcoming focus on serving both the local Canadian and also the US markets. As before when I purchased my ASUS Z70V their staff was friendly and helpful. Currently they have limited methods of payment; in the future they will accept credit cards and online secure ordering.

Since no notebooks are listed on the LG USA site, if you live in the USA you'll have to find an importer, or buy from a Canadian store that will ship to the USA, such as MilestonePC (in the future) or NCIX.

Build & Design:

(view large image)

Sweet! Take a look at the pictures. I love how this laptop looks. Actually, Sony seems to have copied the design in their latest batch of VAIO notebooks. Anyways, it's light (4.2lbs) and thin (less than 1-inch). The outer case is glossy black, which looks fantastic but is easily marked up with fingerprints. (However, the T1 includes a cloth to clean the outer case!) Inside, around the screen is also black, while the keyboard and touchpad are white. The silver LG logos on the lid and below the screen are subtle but classy.

(view large image)

The build quality is good but does not feel extremely tough. My old Asus (which was carbon fibre constructed) feels sturdier. Of course the AsusZ70V is also much heavier than the LG T1, which is mostly made of plastic. By pushing with some force on the back of the screen, you can see some ripples on the LCD. I don't think you'd want to drop it or let your five year old nephew or niece use it, but it feels tough enough to withstand normal everyday use. Since it is so light and thin, you'd expect that it would be a bit more delicate than a heftier model. The hinges on the screen feel solid though, and the screen stays wherever you put it. There is no latch, but it stays shut without one.

LG T1 thickness compared to a DVD (view large image)

LG T1 14.1-inch screen notebook next to the Asus Z70V 15.4" screen notebook(view large image)

I would have appreciated a thicker manual explaining all of the different features, as (in my box at least) there was only a small pamphlet; though most functions are self-explanatory. A full manual in Windows Help format is available on the LG website.

Screen:

Screen view (view large image)

The screen is widescreen 14" WXGA+ (1440x900). It is glossy, bright and generally very nice to look at. There's 8 levels of brightness, from extremely dark to very bright, controllable through function keys (and also can be regulated by the included Battery Miser software). I use it on brightness level 7/9 and that's bright enough. The glossy screen really makes colors look vibrant. Of course, because its glossy you also get some glare on the screen, but I never notice the glare except when I'm actively looking for it, and only then on darker backgrounds. There are no dead pixels on my screen and I haven't noticed any light leakage.

You can see the reflection of the keyboard due to the glossy screen finish (view large image)

Speakers:

The speakers are located at the front edge of the laptop, pointing outward, which is preferable if you're watching a DVD on it, but less so if you're listening to music while working. They sound like average laptop speakers, and do the job well enough. Not surprisingly there is no bass, with rather "tinny" sound. There is a S/PDIF plug on the left side to plug in your own speakers, which you'll probably want to do whenever you're listening to music, DVDs, gaming, etc.

Processor and Performance:

Below you can see the benchmarks that I ran on this laptop. I'm pleased with its performance so far. Gamers take note: This is NOT a gaming notebook. It uses Intel integrated GMA945 for video graphics, meaning it will handle older games but if you enjoy playing the latest 3D games this is NOT the notebook for you. I didn't run 3DMark on it since it's not intended to run 3D stuff. I use my laptop for web surfing, web design, Photoshop, listening to MP3s, OpenOffice, occasional light gaming, etc and it works great for my purposes.

My main concern with performancebefore buying this notebook was the 4200RPM 60GB hard drive. The 60GB size is good enough for my purposes, but I was concerned that it would be slow with the 4200RPM rotation speed. I'm happy to say that I haven't noticed slowness in my everyday usage. If you need optimum hard drive performance, check the HDTune results below to see if it meets your requirements, but its good enough for me.

Benchmarks:

The T1 is not meant as a gaming notebook, so here are some benchmarks aimed at testing its speed for non-gaming related tasks.

PCMark05:

As can be seen below, this notebook achieved a score of 2600 in the PCMark05 test.

Notebook	PCMark05 Score
LG T1 (1.66 GHz Core Duo)	2,600PCMarks
Fujitsu N6410(1.66GHz Core Duo)	3,487 PCMarks
Alienware M7700 (AMD Athlon FX-60)	5,597PCMarks
Sony Vaio SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400)	3,637 PCMarks
Panasonic ToughBook T4(Intel 1.20GHz LV)	1,390 PCMarks
Asus V6J (1.86GHz Core Duo T2400)	3,646 PCMarks
Toshiba Satellite M70 (Pentium M1.86GHz)	1,877 PCMarks

Super PI:

The T1 Calculated PI to 2 million digits in 1:30. (The 1.66GHz Core Duo processor in the T1 got a faster time than the 1.7GHz Pentium M in my Z70V by 21 seconds; ie it calculated PI 19% faster.)

Notebook	Time
LG T1(1.66 GHz Core Duo)	1m 30s
Alienware M770 (AMD Dual Core FX-60)	1m 23s
Sony VAIO FS680 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 53s
IBM ThinkPad T43 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 45s
IBM ThinkPad Z60m(2.0 GHz Pentium M)	1m 36s
Fujitsu LifeBook N3510 (1.73 GHz Pentium M)	1m 48s
Dell Inspiron 6000D (1.6 GHz Pentium M)	1m 52s
Dell Inspiron 600M (1.6 GHz Pentium M)	2m 10s
HP Pavilion dv4000(1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 39s
Asus Z70V (1.73GHz Pentium M)	1m 51s
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 18s

Also since probably the low point of this system's specs is the 4200rpm hard drive, here's the results of the HDTune benchmark:

(view large image)

Heat & Noise:

This is where this laptop shines. It is very quiet; the fan is hardly noticeable. Certainly you won't notice fan noise during light usage. The fan seems to come on when I'm using it on my lap instead of my desk, and/or when I've been using it intensively for a long time. In terms of heat, I'm able to use it on my lap because it doesn't get hot. It gets warm, but never uncomfortably so (moreso on the left side where the hard drive is). It includes built-in fan control via Fn+F11 so you can choose one of three fan settings (Normal, Silent and Cool). And because it's only 4.2lbs, it's quite easy to use resting on my lap. This is one of the main reasons to get this computer: If you want thin, light, quiet and cool, this is the notebook for you. The DVD drive is of average loudness compared to other notebooks I've seen and it spins down quickly when not in use.

The noise made by the hard drive is not loud, but I must note the occasional "plunking" or "clicking" sounds that the hard drive makes every 10 seconds or so when it's in use on/off, as when web surfing or word processing. As best as I've been able to find out, it's a normal sound the Hitachi 1.8" hard drives make when the hard drive head parks. This is partially a security feature to prevent damage. Its not a loud sound, but you'll hear it if you listen for it. I've gotten used to it, but a bit disappointing that manufacturers can't make a hard drive that can park the head silently. For what it's worth, I'll mention this is the same hard drive that is used in certain ThinkPads such as the X40 and X41.

Keyboard and Touchpad:

A look across the T1 keyboard (view large image)

The keyboard on this notebook looks and feels good. The keys are not loud and have a satisfying feel to them. There is no keyboard flex. Of special note are the special function keys. Controlled by the LG "On Screen Display" software, the special keys (ex. brightness control, volume mute, toggle touchpad, etc) all work instantly when you press the Fn+key combinations. A nice touch is Fn+Esc which opens up the DVD drive. Also the Ctrl key is in the correct position(in my opinion at least), in the very left corner of the keyboard. (The order is Ctrl, Fn, Windows, Alt). The touchpad was somewhat of a surprise when I first tried it because it is not smooth like most notebooks I've used, its texture is slightly rough. There are four dedicated buttons beside the power button: Direct Media (runs PowerDVD or whatever), - and + volume buttons, and SRS control (for changing SRS sound modes).

Input and Output Ports:

Three USB 2.0 ports (two on the left edge, one on the right edge) and a Firewire port (on the left edge). The S/PDIF (speaker out), headphone and microphone ports are also located on the left edge. In addition to the microphone port, there's also a built-in mic on the bottom left corner. The VGA out port is also on the left edge, while the S-video out is on the back. The DVD burner is on the right edge. The network and modem plugs are on the back. There is no DVI port or parallel port.

On the right edge there is an express card slot. The 5-in-1 memory card reader is located on the front edge, right in the middle, between the two speakers, which is a slightly odd location for it, but its much better than putting the DVD drive in the front. There is also a fingerprint reader on the far right corner under the keyboard. I haven't used it so I can't comment on its accuracy.

Wireless:

I have wireless Internet working through our Linksys wireless. The included LG "IP Operator" software will work only for WEP-based networks, so if you are using WPA or WPA2 (like I am) you'll need to turn off IP Operator and use the default Windows networking methods. Internet speed is just as fast as any other computer on our network. This notebook also includes Bluetooth, which I have not been able to test because I own no Bluetooth devices. However it's nice to know I have that option available.

Battery:

Battery life is a strong point of this laptop. I just now unplugged it from the A/C, and currently it is estimating 4:25 hours of battery life. This is with wireless on and the screen 7/9 brightness. After turning the brightness down to level 5/9 it went up to 4:55. This is pretty good, especially with at 14" screen. I have not done a systematic test of the battery, but it's safe to say you'll get at least about 4 1/2 hours of battery life out of the T1, and probably more if you adjust the settings. (As usual though I think the company is being a bit optimistic with their estimate of 7hrs!)

LG includes "Battery Miser" software which automatically dims the screen when the notebook isn't in use. The software is totally configurable, so you can automatically set the screen brightness for A/C and battery power, plus a host of other options.

Operating System and Software:

The LG T1 comes with XP Pro preinstalled. It also comes with Norton Security Suite and OmniPass, both of which I promptly uninstalled. For CD/DVD burning CyberLink DVD Solution is included. LG also gives you some of their own software, including Battery Miser (great), IP Operator (good except it only supports WEP) and On Screen Display. Not a fantastic software package, but I prefer this to having dozens of applications pre-installed like on some other name-brand notebooks.

Customer Support:

I have not yet had to contact LG's customer support, so I cannot comment on how helpful they are. The Canadian service center is located in Mississauga, Ontario, there is a separate LG service website and the Canadian tech support number is 1-888-542-2623. A form to contact LG Canada is found here on the LG Canada website. If you live in countries other than Canada, you'll have to browse from the LG Global Site to your specific country page for support. This notebook comes with a "3 year limited warranty", and a thick booklet describing the warranty in detail.

Conclusion:

If you're looking for a notebook that is thin, light, quiet, and cool, but still features a decently large widescreen, this may be the notebook for you. There are no other 14 inch WXGA+ laptops that I know of that are close to this one in terms of size, weight and features. Also, the battery life is great at well over 4 hours, and even 5 hours is possible with the included 6-cell battery. Overall, its great and I highly recommend it!

Pros:

• Lid, case, and overall design is superb
• Lightweight (4.2lbs) & only 0.82" thick
• Very nice glossy widescreen
• Doesn't get hot & stays quiet
• Long battery life
• Great keyboard with useful function keys
• Duo Core, 1gb of RAM standard
• "Bonuses": Bluetooth, fingerprint reader, internal mic, SRS

Cons:

• Mostly made of plastic, not as durable as, say, carbon fibre
• 60gig 4200rpm hard drive
• Bundled software is not spectacular
• Hard drive's "plunk"/"click" noise
• Not meant for 3D gaming

Note about the author: Darren runs the websitewww.dosgames.com, you're encouraged to check it out!

 

Thanks for the g'review and your effort.

 

What a looks, wow!

Great review thanks! It seems that LG is competing with Sony, they make beautiful laptops too! Even more stylish in my opinion.

Charlie-Peru

 

Very nice review on a sweet machine - my family got the TX Express and will be bringing it on their vacation later next month, can't wait to test that out!

 

Thanks, great review! It confirms pretty much what I've heard about the T1... I'll probably make one of these my own this summer
I'm still waiting for Apple to release that Macbook of theirs.. It's a potential competitor to this machine.. But honestly, I doubt it.
GJ emmzee!

 

Nice high res 14.1" !

 

Great review!! And yes it has a High res 14.1". More and more 14" notebooks are being offered with a high resolution option.

 

OMG this would be my perfect notebook if it had an X1600!!! Nooooooooooooooo!

 

LOL! yah!! even without the Dedicated GPU, look at that batterylife!!!, i imagine without WIFI it can easily hit 5 hours.

Awsome Pics!, this laptop has awsome cooling, awsome specs!.

Too bad about the HD and i kno you want better materials for the chasis.

Overall, what a nice laptop! Almost makes me wanna get the LG S1... hehe.

Thanks for the awsome review!, well put together, short and simple and to the point.

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

Excellent review, thanks for submitting it.

The design on the LG is amazing - the black piano lid contrasts beautifully with the white keyboard and surroundings.
Battery life is definitely helped by the L2400 CPU and 1.8" drive, although the latter is a disappointment. A 14" notebook should have a 2.5" in my opinion.

Nice to see more manufacturers than just Dell are implimenting higher-resolution 14" displays; WXGA is too low for a lot of people and forces them to get a 14" standard to get a decent (SXGA+) resolution.

Chaz

 

good news for us in America... MileStonePC will introduce LG to the states

 

Seems to me that HP and Sony are borrowing from the design LG took with this laptop.

 

It's very nice, but the lid is a massive fingerprint magnet Though, that's what microfibre cloths are for!

I picked one up to play around, and it was amazingly slim and, it's built very closely, almost like lego!

 

Looking at it from the front, its like an Oreo ... a thin white center tucked between two thin black parts

And yea, seems the other companies are just copying LG's design now

 

Hmm, what HP and Sony model are you reffering too ?

 

Inspiration comes from some crazy places. It's not impossible that LG's designers were eating oreo's one day and had a 'eureka!' moment. =D!

I have to say that is a very cool design. I agree with Mr. Baxter that HP may of gotten some ideas from LG with there upcoming line new releases (i.e. the Dv2000 and V3000) given there shininess. If only HP could manage to make a 14.1" this then and light.

Thank you for the review emmzee (* * * * *), enjoy your beautiful notebook. Look forward to adding MileStonePC to the list of websites to browse while in class. =)

 

what do you guys think about the 4200rpm HD? Isn't that a bottleneck?

IIRC, a laptop HD should be at least 5400rpm.

 

It's a 1.8" drive, that's the problem - there are none faster than 4200RPM. They probably used such a small drive for power concerns, but sacrificed performance on the downside.

 

I see. Thanks for the reply.

 

yea, support was pretty good in my experience so far. i had some problems with mine and I called LG, and they quickly started a case # for me, and gave me shipping instructions and their purolator acct, so i could send it back to them quickly. since im from toronto, i asked them for turnaround time, and they said it would probably take a day to reach them, they hold it for 48hours, and they should send me something back after and that should take another day, so im guessing 4-5 business days.

i havnt sent mine back yet, but im not too worried.

-vince

 

Any information on what the battery life is like using the extended battery options?

 

What about media control buttons, like "Stop", "Play" etc, at least as the "second function" of function keys?

 

OK, now I'm really confused. Does this laptop come with the low voltage Core Duo processor (L2400), or the regular Core Duo (T2400), or am I getting things completely wrong?

Thanks for the great review by the way.

 

hello,
does anyone know what kind of cable should i get to use the digital audio (Spdif) , so i can connect to my sound system? is it optical or different type of connector?
all i know is that its use 3.5mm jack.
please help

 

I checked the www.lge.co.kr. They have two version of this t1. One is with the regular core duo and the other one is with the LV. That's why I'm wondering if I should buy it in the US or buy it in Korea when Korea is a lot more expensive.

 

I just bought the L2300 version of this machine, and I'm probably going to return it as soon as possible.

I'll list some cons:

1. Fan seems to have the same problem macbook pros have. That mooing sound. Like it's goes to maximum speed for a few secs and turns off. This occurs after the computer has been used for a while.

2. LCD display, but I'm really picky about displays. You have to adjust the display a lot because the vertical viewing angle is fairly limited, and I couldn't get it perfectly adjusted at all. In addition there seems to be some kind of "texture" below the contrast film. Not sure what it is, but it sure is bothering. Looks like really faint grey texture, as if the contrast film wasn't glued on properly. A white area won't look completely white. Aside from that, it's really crispy and bright.

EDIT: The faint grey texture is common for some LCD-panels with contrast film. Just haven't noticed it before.

3. Not exactly as thin as the product specs say. It's thicker around the battery area. More like 30mm, I'd guess.

4. Keyboard has the right layout, but key feedback was not as good as expected. Probably because it's so thin. Space button was really noisy on my model. The white keyboard will probably not stay clean. Felt I had to wash my hands before using it. Left mouse button had to be pressed down hard to not release while clicking and dragging windows or files; found it impossible to operate the trackpad with just one hand.

5. Not really sturdy built at all. At this price I expected a better build quality. Even adjusting the screen angle a little bit affects the LCD in form of discoloration in certain areas. The piano black finish is not completely flat. You can notice bulges and curves on it, as if it's made from really soft plastic. Seems like it'll scratch easily. The little gap below the hinges between the hinge and the laptop body was a bit more narrow on the left side. The lid was also shifting left when closed, so it stuck out on the left side and you could see the white body on the right. Really bothered me, since I can't stand asymmetry.


Bottom line is I'm not really pleased, so I'm returning it.

Can also add a few pros:

1. Really good battery life.
2. Thin.
3. Speakers better than expected.

EDIT: Removed some unfair cons. Also sent this computer back and bought a different one.

 

Hi together,

I have the same problem with the fan, it goes to maximum speed each 3 secs, it's annoying!
And I had heard that more users have this problem.
@toetactic: did you get an answer from lg about this problem?
does anyone else have the same problem with the t1?

 

No, no answer from LG. Didn't bother. Returned it and bought a Lenovo X60s instead. Much better choice for me.

 

Mostly made of plastic, not as durable as, say, carbon fibre

yep not as durable as the Asus V6j

i dont like LG much as a manufacturer of anything. Their cell phones used to be particularly horrible but they do now have a newer better one in the gsm LG CU500 for Cingular but i dunno i'm just not a big fan. not even of the tvs

what is the difference between this an d the LG P1?

 

The S1/P1's are 15.4" machines, there is a world of differences.

The T1 may be plastic, but its darn good plastic, so rating it to another class of notebooks isn't fair at all.

 

LG S1
with Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 2.00 GHz (WSXGA+)

* 15.4" WSXGA+ FineBright TFT, Auflösung 1680x1050
* 2048 MB DDR2-RAM PC5300, max. 4096 MB
* 120 GB Festplatte SATA 5400rpm
* 512 MB ATI Radeon Mobility X1600, 256 MB Hyper Memory
* DVD+-RW Double Layer Drive (8x/4x/2x/16x/10x/12x/24x)
* Wireless-Lan & Bluetooth integr.
* 5-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS Pro/XD)
* Fingerprint
* Multimedia Fernbedienung
* Windows XP Professional Multilingual
* 2 Jahre Garantie

» Individual configuration!
2.289,- EUR incl. VAT
1973.28 excl. VAT
plus shipping fee

http://www.notebook.de/index.php?section=shop&group=418#2935

 

Hi

I have just bought a T1 while out in Singapore. If you like a light quiet well presented machine with a high res screen then I think that it is right up there with the very best. As far as the fan noise goes it seems a lot quieter than other laptops I have used. I keep it on silent and it pretty much is.

Berni